


in every generation there is a chosen one...

by princesstomaz



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU, F/F, F/M, Gen, also eventual darhkatom, background avalance that will happen in later chapters, hopefully still readable even if you don't get the references, lots of btvs references, warning for moderate violence/blood/vampires/the stuff you'd expect for a buffy au, zarlie focus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 09:24:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17598614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princesstomaz/pseuds/princesstomaz
Summary: In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.Zari Tomaz is the latest in a line of warriors chosen by fate to protect the world from the supernatural. She is aided by her friends, a small group consisting of two newly qualified Watchers, a previously-dead former Slayer, a warlock with a dangerous past, a good-natured but very mortal physics teacher and her new acquaintance, the mysterious and beautiful Charlie who she can't seem to stay away from. Together they work to help Zari fulfil her destiny and gain further allies in her fight against evil.





	in every generation there is a chosen one...

A darkness had fallen over the Sunnydale cemetery that was soon followed by a notably eerie silence. Deliberate and determined footsteps followed a path through the headstones then came to an abrupt halt. The woman straightened her back, standing tall to feel the bite of a cool breeze nip at her cheeks. Her senses were heightened and focused on the instinct that told her the time had come. This was what she had trained for. This was the destiny that centuries of an ancient legacy had bestowed upon her. Another set of footprints approached, quiet, almost silent but not quiet enough. She was ready for him.

With precision skill and razor sharp focus, she pivoted on one foot, raising the other as she spun to kick the looming attacker square in the chest. The creature stumbled back for a second then launched forward again, bearing blood-soaked fangs and bright yellow eyes. She deflected the advance just as swiftly as the first, raising her arms to stop her opponent’s getting anywhere closer. Once again, he looked surprised, frozen is shock when his forearms collided with balled fists in mid-air. She seized her opportunity and landed a sharp jab at his neck. She scoffed in amusement as the vampire spluttered and choked. He was obviously newly sired, his body reacting to the threat of damage to his airways, still unaware he no longer needed to breathe.

“Being undead never makes you guys smarter, huh?” She taunted, closing the space between them and forcing him back with another perfectly executed kick to the chest. He fell to the floor with a thud and looked up, his distorted face managing to show a look of confusion.

“What the hell is going on? Who are you?” His raspy voice sounded more like the snarl of an wounded and vulnerable animal than a murderous, undead monster. It didn’t matter. She had no sympathy for it.

“You don’t know?” She grinned, speaking with an intentional and exaggerated air of false surprise in her voice. “In every generation there is a chosen one. Sound familiar?” She paused to register her foe’s reaction, he still looked confused and angry. She reached into her jacket and drew out a wooden stake. “I’m Zari.” A look of fear spread across the vampire’s face, he was starting to understand. “The Vampire Slayer,” she declared proudly before dropping onto her knees with enough force to drive the spike into his chest.

Still with a smug smile plastered on her face, Zari pushed off the ground to stand. The stake in her hand lifted from the vampire’s chest as his look of shock and horror, as well as the rest of him, disintegrated into fine dust. She quickly stepped back to avoid the dispersal of the black powder, she’d ruined enough of her favorite clothes to learn that no amount of dry cleaning could get vampire dust out of her jeans.

“That was awesome!” An excited voice drew her attention away from the settling remains and towards three figures stepping out from the shadows of a mausoleum that stood a small distance away from where the fight that had just transpired. The exclamation came from Nate, one third of the delegation that had arrived less than a month ago from the Watchers Council. Zari nodded in response, always appreciative of the praise.

“Curb the enthusiasm.” Nate’s face dropped as the tall woman next to him stared intently at the Slayer. The harsher and stricter of the two, Ava never had time for needless compliments and ego-boosting when there was important job to do. With her hands held behind her back, she took a few steps towards Zari, “Miss Tomaz, what do you think this exercise achieved?” She sounded angry.

“Oh loosen up!” A more relaxed voice cut in before Zari could answer. Sara was shorter and looked rather less formal than her companions but was definitely the most at ease with being in a dark cemetery. “She did her job,” she gestured towards the dust that had begun to disappear as it soaked into the grass. “Vampire, slayed. Slayer, alive. So why is the Watcher not happy?” She puckered her lips in a theatrical pout, looking directly at Ava who chose to ignore the condescending expression and remained focused on Zari.

“This was a newly sired vampire, fresh out the grave tonight, possibly last night, and the victim we found earlier today was covered in multiple bite marks of varied sizes.” Ava reeled off the facts with a stern look on her face then paused, looking forward with an expectant raise of her eyebrow, “Which means?”

Zari hesitated, unsure of the answer. She killed the vampire and Sara was right, that was her job. She glanced over to the other two who were desperately gesturing and mouthing words to give her clues. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to read Sara’s lips. “Nest?” She answered with some uncertainty. “Nest!” She repeated herself with more confidence, hoping to distract Ava from noticing the assistance as she looked over her shoulder. “There’s a nest!”

Ava looked at Sara then to Nate with some scepticism before turning back to Zari. “Yes. We’re obviously dealing with a group here and that vampire was our best chance of finding the rest. Now we-”

“Now we have a great learning opportunity!” Nate interrupted, postponing whatever scolding Ava had in mind. “This is a chance for Zari to do a little recon, gather some intel, form those connections with members of the supernatural community that live here peacefully and would be glad to help the Slayer and the Council.” He looked hopefully at Ava who mulled over the prospect for a moment.

“Fine.” The Watcher gave a decided nod of her head. “Use this as a chance to gather information that will lead you to the rest. You can meet us at The Magic Box in a couple of hours to share what you find.”

“I don’t think this town has vampire nest listings I can find online,” Zari quipped, getting annoyed at Ava’s curtness. “Where am I supposed to get this information?”

“That, Miss Tomaz,” Ava answered, already anticipating such a response, “is what you will have to find out for yourself.” She turned and headed back towards the path that would lead to one of the cemetery’s entry points. Nate followed after giving a quick thumbs up and a reassuring smile.

Before joining the others, Sara took a small step forward. “Saints and Sinners,” she whispered quietly, then turned and walked quickly to catch up to Nate and Ava.

Zari watched her three mentors disappear behind the weather-worn stone of the mausoleum then let her head fall back, audibly exhaling. Her heart beat had steadied and it hadn’t taken long for her to get her breath back after the fight, one of the many perks she’d grown accustomed to in the past eighteen months. She leaned her head forward again, scanning her surroundings to ensure there was definitely nobody still around. Not that her senses had ever let her down before.

The stake still clutched in her hand found its way back into the inside pocket of her jacket. She reached to pull the elastic hair tie that was holding her hair up in what had been a tight ponytail. After smoothing down the fly-always that had come loose during the struggle, she tied her hair back up again and set off with an exaggerated sigh.

As she walked towards another of the entrances, she plucked her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and punched in the first number on her speed dial. The dial tone lasted no more than a few seconds before her best friend’s voice cut through.

“How goes the slaying?”

Zari smiled, she knew she could count on Ray’s cheerfulness to make her feel better. “Not too bad. Little Miss Watchers Council was her usual sunshine self, but what else is new?”

“She just looking out for you,” Ray sounded sympathetic, “You know, making you the best Slayer you can be.”

Zari mumbled in agreement. He was right and she knew Ava’s harsh instruction was helping but she didn’t have to like it. “Hey, is John there?” She changed the subject, not wanting to give her Watcher any more understanding.

“Yeah. Hold on, I’ll put you on speaker.”

She knew they were both at The Magic Box, the magical supply store John owned, and heard Ray call for their friend.

“Alright, Z? How goes the observation?” John’s voice grew louder and clearer as his footsteps approached the table she presumed the phone had been placed upon.

“Well one down, a whole nest to go,” Zari rolled her eyes then remembered why she’d called in the first place. “I’ll explain later. For now, does the phrase ‘saints and sinners’ mean anything to you guys? Or do you have any idea how that’s supposed to help me find a nest of vampires?”

“Saints and Sinners is a bar,” John answered, “the favored watering hole for all your local monsters.”

“Wait, there’s a monster bar? Like for vampires?” Ray’s disbelief matched her own, how had she never heard of this place before?

“Oh not just vampires. Demons, witches, you name it.”

“Of course!” Zari exclaimed, unable to hide the sarcasm in her voice, “why wouldn’t the hellmouth have demonic amenities? What else you got, John?”

“Not much,” he answered honestly, “I haven’t had the chance for a visit. Although I did have someone in the shop a few weeks ago who mentioned the proprietor...” He trailed off, mumbling a Latin name she couldn’t quite hear over the phone. Ray obviously had heard something and his reaction almost startled her.

“A fire demon?!” Ray’s panicked voice interrupted John’s incoherent ramblings. “Did you say this place is run by a fire demon? Z, this doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

“I’m with Ray on this one. A Slayer walking into a place like that is asking for trouble.”

“I appreciate the concern but I can handle this. Ava’s going to be breathing down my neck for weeks if I don’t find the rest of the nest.” Zari’s statement was final. “So, any advice on how to handle this fire demon?”

She heard the rustle of turning pages and a distant tapping she guessed was Ray typing on his laptop. The two remained silent for a few minutes before John finally answered, “Don’t piss him off.”

“Helpful.” Her retort was sharp and sarcastic but John brushed it off.

“I mean it, Z, don’t tangle with any of those guys unless you really need to.”

“Well I really need to, John.” She answered, her voice rising in volume out of frustration. “So are you going to help me or not?”

Zari hung up the phone a few minutes later and returned it to the back pocket of her jeans. After a few more steps, she realized she had reached the opening in the metal fence that led out into an empty street. John had caved and provided her with directions to get to the bar she was hoping would hold some valuable information. There was a time in her life where the thought of crossing through dark streets in the middle of the night by herself would have terrified her. These days there wasn’t much that could scare her. She was the thing monsters had nightmares about. She meticulously followed John’s instructions and soon found herself stood on an unfamiliar sidewalk, staring across the street at a grubby sign lit by fading street lights that read ‘Saints and Sinners’.

To anyone else, the building would appear derelict and abandoned. The windows were boarded up and a heavy rusted lock hung from the industrial style door. Zari knew better. She’d encountered glamours before, demonic magic summoned to keep things hidden from the untrained eye. Ava had informed her not long ago that her ability to recognize and see through these disguises was one of her many lesser known Slayer gifts.

“Here goes nothing,” Zari uttered quietly to herself before crossing the street to the door.

Beyond what she assumed would have been a heavy door to someone not endowed with supernatural strength, was a long dark corridor. She let out a tired sigh and reached for her phone to provide some light. She walked on and came to another heavy door which opened with the same ease as the first. On the other side of the second door was exactly what she had been expecting from a demon bar in the middle of the town that sat upon a hellmouth.

A dimly lit square room opened up in front of her. Along the left wall were wood panelled booths, some of which played host to small groups of patrons. At a glance, Zari recognized some of the species of demons and other creatures present but she didn’t let her gaze linger. She already knew she was going to stand out in this place, staring would only draw more attention to herself. The rest of the room was filled with an assortment of tables and chairs, a jukebox which stood in silence and a dusty pool table. Most of the far wall was occupied by a wide bar that looked like it had seen better days. As she stepped further into the room, she could pick out where the wood had chipped and sustained damage from the many the bar brawls she presumed a place like this had housed.

She perched precariously on one of the wooden stools stood in front of the bar, trying her best not to look as out of place as she felt.

“What will it be?” The deep hoarse voice belonged to a man behind the bar who seemingly appeared out of nowhere directly in front of her. He was taller than she was, with broad shoulders and an unfriendly expression staring her down.

“Uh…” Zari stammered for a moment, only then did it occur to her that maybe looking for answers in a bar would be less conspicuous if she was with someone who actually drunk alcohol. “Lemonade?” It was more a question than an answer and her uncertainty was no doubt beginning to show. Being out in the cemetery was easy. Fighting and all that she needed for it came naturally. Covert reconnaissance was a little out of her comfort zone.

The bartender fulfilled her request, despite the flicker of annoyance she noticed cross his features. A glass of lemonade was set down in front of her and for a few seconds she thought she was free of his inquisitive gaze.

“So what brings you to my bar?” He crossed his arms across his chest as she spoke, still looking suspicious and irritated. _His_ bar. This was the fire demon. Zari’s eyes widened at the sudden realization but she quickly regained her composure and shrugged, forcing herself to act as casual and relaxed as possible.

“I was looking for someone, thought this might be the place to start.”

His brow furrowed as he contemplated her answer. Zari wondered if demons could read auras the way she could. John had told her that witches and warlocks were capable of detecting a supernatural presence, and the heightened senses of vampires enabled them to differentiate between humans and non-humans. Despite their reputation, she knew that not all demons posed a threat but she didn’t really want to find out how one might respond to discovering a Slayer had wandered into his establishment.

“This ain’t the place to be asking questions.” His sharp reply disrupted her wandering thoughts. She blinked, unaware she’d been holding his gaze with an equally stern stare. Without another word, he turned and walked to the other end of the bar to busy himself with serving a different customer. Zari exhaled, a reticent demon was better than an argumentative one although it left her without any information on the vampire nest she still needed to find before the night ended.

Twenty minutes had passed and Zari took the last gulp of her cold drink. She had tried to summon some thought as to how she was going to get information out of anyone at the bar but it was useless. Her destiny was to vanquish monsters, not make small talk with them. A decision had to be made, she could stay here and hope someone would just stroll up and give her the location of the nest or she could try the old-fashioned method and patrol all the usual spots in hopes of stumbling upon it. The latter was certainly more labor intensive and she doubted whether she’d make it back to The Magic Box before dawn but it was better than not going out at all. Any one of those vampires could attack and she needed to be out there to stop them.

She fumbled in her pocket for money to pay for her drink and noticed the serious bartender approaching again. She considered trying to strike up a conversation again but dismissed the idea. This man wasn’t going to give her answers anyway.

“Who’s your new friend, Mick?” The sound of a distinguishable thick English accent came from behind her, causing her to turn her head quickly. She was more than a little startled. Nobody was able to sneak up on her so quietly and she was unnerved by how this person had managed. The voice belonged to a stranger stood less than a few feet away, leaning nonchalantly against the bar, a slender figure clad in dark ripped jeans, heavy black boots and a dark red t-shirt emblazoned with a band logo. Silver rings glittered from her fingers to match her ear piercings that were even more noticeable than the electric blue streak running through her tightly braided black hair. Zari couldn’t help staring. This girl was completely mesmerizing, more beautiful than anyone she’d ever seen before. She blinked, totally captivated by the gorgeous stranger who flashed her a dazzling smile. She felt drawn to her, inexplicably pulled towards her presence like gravity holding her in orbit.

The proprietors gruff voice intruded her trance, muttering something about a new face and then the stranger was looking directly at her.

“I’m Zari,” she interjected before she could stop herself.

“I’m Charlie,” the other woman took a few steps forward and stretched out her arm to shake hands. Zari mirrored her actions, feeling almost hypnotized by her every move.

Her hand was warmer to the touch than Zari had been expecting. In her experience, demons, vampires and all the rest of the underworld creatures residing in this town were cold. Perhaps it was something to do with being undead or cursed, or perhaps it was just her Slayer instincts reading their presence and interpreting their energy into a comparison she would understand. Charlie didn’t appear to be either. She did however, seem to be making her own deductions as her middle and index finger uncurled from the hand shake and pressed lightly against Zari’s wrist. She was feeling for a pulse.

Charlie retracted her hand, although not out of disgust or any sense of unpleasant feeling. She took a seat next to Zari and rested one arm on the bar as she turned to face her. “We don’t get many humans in here.” She observed, her voice quiet as her piercing eyes looked over her neighbor. She bit down on her bottom lip though it did nothing to hide the smile that had crept onto her face.

Zari let her eyes fall into her own lap, strands of dark hair that had come loose from her ponytail falling around her face. She wasn’t used to her confidence wavering and she was most certainly not well acquainted with the quickening heartbeat and flushed cheeks that Charlie’s attention seem to spurn. She inwardly scolded herself for acting the way she did. She felt ridiculous and embarrassed and now she was making a fool of herself. With as much gusto as she could muster, she forced herself to meet Charlie’s gaze once more with her calm expression restored.

“I’m looking for somebody,” she almost surprised herself with how calm and collected she managed to make her voice sound.

Charlie raised an eyebrow, a little taken back by the statement. She inched forward ever so slightly, “Well maybe I can help you find them.”

Zari sucked in a breath and forced herself to concentrate on the matter at hand. This wasn’t the time or place for flirting with beautiful strangers. “There’s a vampire nest somewhere in town. All newly sired probably, they’re messy and impulsive.” If Charlie was human and blissfully ignorant of the true nature of the establishment she stood in, she would undoubtedly think she was crazy and put some distance between them. If she wasn’t human then Zari hoped her intentions were clear and would provoke the same hostility the bar’s owner had displayed.

Charlie leaned back and for a second Zari believed her plan had worked. She wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of her new acquaintance losing interest but it was probably for the best.

“Do you know Summers Park?” The question was unexpected. Zari had anticipated disapproval, shock, annoyance or amusement.

“Uh…” She thought for a moment. The name was familiar although she couldn’t remember why or how she knew it.

“The park near city hall,” Charlie continued, briefly glancing around the room to ensure nobody was eavesdropping. Zari nodded in response. The school Ray worked at was just across the street, she knew she’d heard it before. “There’s a couple of abandoned buildings on the far side, used to be part of a funfair there about a decade ago.”

Zari looked at her new informant curiously. Why was she helping? Was she even helping at all? “Why are you telling me this?” She frowned and waited for an answer but Charlie went on as if she hadn’t heard the question.

“The area’s fenced off so nobody can access it, day or night, but it’s no trouble for a vampire to vault over. It’s a good place to lay low and avoid the sunlight.”

“And set a trap?” Zari was growing more suspicious. She hadn’t actually expected someone to walk up and give her the answers and even though logically she knew she should be sceptical, every one of her instincts told her she could trust Charlie. It was indescribable the pull she felt towards her.

Charlie laughed, the noise was unexpected but still pleasant and Zari had to bite her bottom lip to stop herself smiling. “If I wanted to kill someone,” she slipped forward off the barstool to stand even closer, her voice dropped to barely more than a whisper, “I know better ways than sending the Slayer into a vampire den.” Before Zari could fully process what she had said, she turned on her heels and was gone.

She sat there in stunned silence for a minute. How had she known? How was it possible that she had inferred so little and yet Charlie seem to know so much about her? She shook her head, attempting to clear her mind as she dropped money on the bar and headed outside. The street was empty and Zari frowned. There was no way Charlie could’ve gotten away so quickly. She took a deep breath and looked towards one end of the street, knowing it would take her in the direction of the town square. This was crazy. Was she really going to follow the advice of a total stranger in a demon bar that could very well be leading her right into a trap?

_____________________________________________________

The brass bell that hung above the door of The Magic Box chimed through the empty store as Ava marched in with Nate and Sara close behind. John appeared from behind one of the bookshelves, expecting to have to tell whoever it was that the shop was closed. An amused smile pulled at the corners of his mouth when he saw the furious look on Ava’s face.

The front of the shop was crammed with rows of shelves filled with books and artifacts. A dark purple curtain covered the wall furthest from the door which was quickly swatted out of the way as Ava made her way into the space at the back. Previously the area had just been used for storage but since befriending Zari and watching their small group take form, John had converted it into something of a small meeting place. If nothing else, he was content that it kept the Watcher delegation out of Zari’s home. He thought they were invasive enough without making their presence known in every area of the Slayer’s life.

An old round table sat in the middle of the back room, pilled with some of the rarer volumes in his possession as well as Ray’s laptop and a stack of student papers that the tall physics teacher had spent the past hour grading. He looked up as John returned with the others in tow, a beaming smile ready to greet his friends. He was about to ask how their evening was going until Nate shot him a look which cautioned him not to bother. Sara lazily kicked out a chair and dropped into it as Ava turned suddenly, glowering at the other woman.

“You’re far too lenient with her.” Her voice carried the same anger as her furrowed expression.

“And you’re way too strict,” Sara countered, her casual demeanor only making Ava angrier.

“I’m her Watcher! It’s my job to train her, to guide her, to do everything in my power to make sure she’s ready.”

“See that’s your problem,” Sara stood slowly, daring to take a step closer, “you think this is a job.”

The others remained silent, none of them bold enough to interrupt. John hovered near the curtain, hoping to conjure an excuse to duck out of the conversation completely. Nate sighed heavily and found a seat near Ray. He was tired of trying to play mediator between the two. This tension had been growing since they arrived in Sunnydale and after a month, they still hadn’t made an progress towards finding a happy medium.

Ava was pragmatic, organised and meticulous to a fault. She had achieved the greatest success with every test the Council had presented to her during their training and nobody was surprised when she was selected as Zari Tomaz’s guardian. It was the highest honor that could be awarded to a Watcher, to be chosen to guide and educate a Slayer. Sara’s journey to the role had been less conventional. Once a Slayer herself, she had been killed in action before her sister and Watcher called upon unspeakable dark forces to resurrect her. Nate remembered pouring over her file before he and Ava departed the Council’s headquarters for Sunnydale. Details surrounding the case were sparse but he knew what had been summoned to give Sara back her life had taken the lives of her sister and Watcher in return. Whatever dark magic it was had failed to restore her full Slayer abilities which had been bestowed upon the next in line, that was when Zari’s power had been activated. He knew that he, Ava and Sara didn’t make the most conventional team and the two clashed at almost every turn but they all had Zari’s best interests at heart and that is what truly mattered.

“And you think this is just a game,” Ava’s voice grew louder. She found Sara’s attitude infuriating. How could someone who had so much first hand field experience, who had literally given her life for her calling, be so blasé about all of this? Sara scoffed, stepping back and taking her seat once again. Ava took advantage of the pause and continued, “it’s not all about running blindly into a fight and hoping for the best.”

“Well it’s not all about following the rules and getting perfect grades either,” Sara argued, still with a slight look of amusement on her face. “But how could you know that? I bet you’ve been doing exactly what you’ve been told for your entire life.”

Ava clenched her jaw and took a deep breath. She wasn’t going to get riled up or try to make any taunting jibes in response. She opened her mouth, ready to calmly respond when the chime of the door bell echoed through from the store’s front room.

John pulled back the curtain and let out a sigh of relief. “Thought you’d still be out looking for that vampire nest?” The others knew there was only one person he could be talking to and quickly caught on to the fact that it was Zari who had walked in.

“Done and dusted,” she proclaimed proudly as she stepped past John into the back room where her friends were gathered, a gleaming smile on her face.

“You found the nest?” Ava pushed aside all thoughts of the argument and looked instead towards Zari who nodded in response.

“And you got them all?” Sara rose from her chair, taking a step forward to stand beside Ava.

“Every last one.” Zari crossed the room to take the nearest empty seat. Ava and Sara exchanged pleased grins, both softening a little after hearing the good news.

“Miss Lance, I think we can agree that despite our differences, we’ve all done a good job here.” Still smiling, Ava relaxed her posture and nodded towards Zari.

Sara turned to face her, “I can’t argue with that.” The two held each other’s gaze for a second before Nate loudly cleared his throat, reminding them both that there were other people in the room.

After Ava, Sara and John took their places at the table, Zari regaled them with the story of her most recent victory. She deliberately left out her visit to Saints and Sinners and her encounter with the mysterious Charlie. Instead she told them she’d patrolled through the streets and followed one of the vampires back to the nest. It was technically a lie but it was what she’d intended to before entering the bar and probably would’ve worked eventually. Something told her the others would only bombard her with further questions and she was getting tired. Fortunately, Sara didn’t ask how her lead had panned out. She was likely keeping it from Ava but it worked to Zari’s benefit too.

“It’s late,” Ava looked around the table before standing up, “you should get some rest.”

Zari nodded at Ava’s suggestion and looked over at Ray who was carefully placing his laptop back into his bag along with the stack of student papers. Nate, Ava and Sara were staying in one of the town’s motels while waiting for more permanent residences and even without Slayer strength, Sara was more than capable of holding her own in a fight should they run into trouble on the way back. John had a small apartment above the store that was protected with a multitude of charms and spells to repel unwanted guests. She and Ray both lived in the same building so it always made sense to walk home together, and it put her at ease to know he wasn’t walking home alone. All except John made their way towards the door, exchanging goodbyes as they went. Outside, the group split with Zari and Ray heading in one direction and the others walking the other way.

“Is everything okay?” Ray finally asked when they were alone, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

“Fine.” Zari smiled, she was grateful for his concern but sometimes he worried too much.

“You seem…” Ray trailed off, searching for the right word. It had been almost twelve months since she had shared with him her knowledge of the supernatural and her destiny as the Slayer, and by now he had gotten pretty good at reading her mood after a fight. Tonight her mind seemed elsewhere “Distracted,” was the word he finally settled on.

“I’m just tired,” she looked ahead, glad that their apartment building came into view.

They remained in comfortable silence for the next few minutes, Ray mentally going over his lesson plan for the next day and Zari unable to drag her thoughts away from the girl she’d met earlier in the evening. A few steps away from the front door of their destination, she reached for the keys in her pocket but found nothing.

“Crap!” Ray looked startled at her sudden outburst. She patted her other pockets but they were nowhere to be found. “My keys,” she explained quickly, “I definitely had them when I left.” She cast her mind back to the events of the evening and remembered hearing them clatter against her phone in her pocket as she left the cemetery. “Must’ve dropped them in the fight or somewhere else. You go ahead, I’ll find them.”

“Are you sure?” Ray pulled his own set of keys out of his bag and looked towards Zari. “I can help you look. Or you can crash on my couch and…”

“It’s okay. I don’t want them falling into the wrong hands.” She cut him off with a reassuring smile and took a few steps backwards, watching him smile in return before heading inside. Happy to see her friend safely indoors, she turned and headed back into town, hoping to retrace her steps and locate her missing keys.

_____________________________________________________

Zari walked through the streets of Sunnydale exactly as she’d done only a couple of hours ago, from the cemetery to Saints and Sinners and finally to Summers Park, and found absolutely nothing. After another quick scan of the enclosed gazebo which housed an indoor carousel that earlier had seen her annihilate almost a dozen vampires, she admitted defeat and decided to head home. Ray would wait up until he heard from her and given how tired she felt, sleeping on his couch sounded preferable to spending any more time searching for her keys.

“You took my advice then,” an oddly familiar voice interrupted her thoughts as Charlie appeared from inside the central cabin where the operating controls could be found. Her arm reached inside and pressed a button to turn on some lights. Bright rainbow bulbs flickered to life, casting light over the carousel and the two women looking at one another.

Zari was completely lost for words, surprised but still incredibly pleased to see the face she hadn’t been able to shake from her thoughts. She managed a nod and tried not to let her face betray how she felt.

Charlie watched her intently and stepped forward, a playful bounce to her steps as she dropped down to the lower platform. Zari remained still as she approached and let out a silent sigh when she came to a halt, leaning against the nearest carousel horse.

“They give you any trouble?” Charlie folded her arms across her chest whilst Zari’s gaze fell to her feet, suddenly feeling bashful at the attention.

“No,” she answered quietly, stuffing her hands in her pockets and glancing upwards to find piercing eyes still focused on her. An overwhelmingly curiosity and need for some answers as to who this woman was dwarfed her hesitation. “How did you know to send me here?”

“Lucky guess.” Charlie answered without missing a beat. Zari frowned, unsatisfied with the answer given which prompted her to go on. “Let's just say I just have a knack for thinking the way vampires think.”

Her answer was as cryptic as expected. Zari resigned herself to a small smile. Not knowing something typically frustrated her, she wasn’t the type for secrets or puzzles. Under different circumstances, she wouldn’t waste her time trying to get to know someone who clearly didn’t want to be known. Yet there was something so intriguing about Charlie, something alluring she couldn’t resist, a mystery she wanted to see unfold.

“Who are you?” The question was mostly rhetorical, her own thoughts spoken aloud as she tried desperately to make sense of how she felt and why one person was capable of causing such a stir within her.

Charlie didn’t say a word and instead took a few steps forward until there was barely any space left between them. She reached out, clasping their hands together to the surprise of Zari who felt cold metal press into her palm.

“A friend.” It was all she said in response, releasing their hands and stepping past the other woman. She was gone just as quickly as the words that fell from her lips.

Zari glanced down, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw the keys in her hand. She jerked her head up quickly but she knew Charlie wasn’t there, already melted into the darkness beyond the carousel entrance just as she had outside the bar earlier that evening. Zari stood there frozen once more. Twice now she had encountered this woman and both times left her conflicted, torn between the logical side of her that was adamant nothing good could arise from such an ominous stranger and her fast-beating heart that set her instincts on fire, screaming that not only was this someone she could trust, it was someone she belonged with.

She pushed the thoughts aside and closed her fist around the keys. She strode towards the control centre and after a minute or two, found the right switch to turn the bright lights off. The carousel fell into darkness again as she jogged towards the exit Charlie had disappeared through just moments ago and back through the park. Slayer speed and stamina carried her home in half the normal time it took to reach her building from that side of town. The whole time her mind kept racing back to Charlie. Her face, her clothes, the touch of her hand, the glint in her eye and the irresistibly charming smile.

Her mind settled back in the present as she climbed the stairs of her apartment building, remembering to send a quick text to let Ray know she found her keys and got home. He responded quickly, wishing her a good night’s sleep with a reminder that they agreed to meet for coffee after he finished work the next day. Zari smiled as she locked her phone, sliding it back into her pocket. Maybe tomorrow all of this would make more sense, or at least she could formulate her thoughts into coherent sentences to share with her friend. She hadn’t released her tight hold on the set of keys since leaving the park, as if hoping clutching them would bring back the elation she felt around Charlie. Questions raced through her mind as the key to her apartment door found its place in the lock. A friend? A friend who knew she was the Slayer? A friend who knew where to find a nest of vampires? A friend who found her keys, or stole her keys, and knew she’d come looking for them? Zari’s social circle was small, pretty much non-existent outside the group that had been assembled earlier in the back room of The Magic Box but she had enough friends to know none of them were quite like Charlie.

The door of her apartment swung open after she unlocked it and she crossed the threshold, letting the door slam shut behind her with a resounding click she acknowledged as the deadbolt locking. She finally let go of the keys, setting them down on her coffee table with her phone, the stake from inside her jacket and the loose money she found at the bottom of her pockets before dropping onto the couch. Carrying a bag tended to get in the way when patrolling and fighting so most days ended with her fishing a myriad of detritus out of her pockets. This day was no different, only now she couldn’t stop staring at her keys, her mind churning out dozens of possible explanations for how she had lost them and how her new friend ended up in possession of them.

After a few minutes, she pushed herself up off the couch and grabbed her phone before heading towards her bedroom, leaving the keys and all thoughts of them behind. She placed her phone on her bedside table and, after changing and turning out the lights, her head hit the pillow. She let her eyes fall shut, heavy with exhaustion and drifted off to sleep.

____________________________________________________

A thin grey mist hung through the streets of Sunnydale as Zari felt her feet carry her forward. There was a soft light all around and the bitter cold air made her think it was some time early in the morning but there was nobody around. She was in the town square, looking towards Summers Park and wondering where everyone was. If this was early morning, where were all the young teenagers rushing to make their first class? Or the crowd of mothers pushing strollers through the park? The town hall sat just across the square, she turned to see if the building remained equally silent but the mist grew denser, clouding her view. In a few seconds, it was all around her then dissipated just as quickly as it rolled in but she was no longer in the middle of town. She looked down, aware of something cold underfoot and realised she wasn’t wearing shoes or socks or any of her own clothing. The thin white material of a long simple dress billowed around her legs and a frown crossed her features, she definitely didn’t own anything this flimsy and delicate. She whipped her head around to quickly drink in her surroundings. A graveyard, but not like any of the cemeteries she recognized and by now she’d become quite familiar with Sunnydale’s collection. Further questions swam through her mind. Where was she? What was she wearing? What was she meant to be doing?

Getting answers while standing in one spot seemed unlikely so she cautiously stepped forward, hoping the mist wouldn’t enclose and carry her away again. Fortunately, her view of the cemetery sprawled before her remained clear. There was an obvious path through the grass which she presumed had been trodden in by regular footfall. As she moved along the trail, she looked down at a nearby headstone to find it blank. No name, date or inscription of any kind. She checked the other side of the dark grey slab protruding from the damp grass, still nothing. Becoming increasingly confused, she looked around, checking both sides of multiple headstones all around her. All empty.

She walked on nevertheless, spotting a larger shape in the distance. As she approached, the lines of heavy stone became clearer and the form of a mausoleum came into view. Just like the headstones, there was no name or personal decorations adorning the outside. It was only as she reached what she assumed was the door that she realized someone was sat on top of the small building, legs swinging over the side with an alluring smile. Charlie. Of course she hadn’t been made to wear a strange floaty dress, she was wearing the same clothes Zari had seen her in at the bar and later at the carousel.

“What are you doing here?” She wasn’t sure whether to be surprised or glad to see her. Maybe a mix of both. Charlie didn’t answer straight away instead pushed herself off the mausoleum roof, landing perfectly in front of Zari with a quiet thud.

“I’ve always been here.” She spoke slowly, her grin still fixed on her lips. “I brought them.” She pointed over Zari’s shoulder.

Zari turned, following the direction of her gesture. Three woman stood in a line facing her, they hadn’t been there before. Their faces seemed familiar although she couldn’t remember where she’d seen them before. Clad in the same white dress she was wearing, they remained perfectly still with their gaze locked into her.

“Who are they?” She stepped towards them as she asked. Something inside her recognised these women, felt some odd sense of fraternity with the three total strangers before her.

“You know who we are,” the woman in the middle answered. She had pale skin and light brown hair which fell in tight ringlets around her neck. With her distinguished features and delicate hair style, this woman seemed far more suited to the white gown. She looked as though she stepped right out of a period drama.

“You’ve always known who we are,” next to speak was the stranger stood to the left. Upon closer inspection, Zari realised how much younger she was. Her round face and softer features made her look little more than sixteen. The blonde braids hanging loosely on either side of her head didn’t make her look any older. As the words were spoken, she couldn’t help noticing the movement of her lips didn’t match the words she heard. It dawned on her a moment later that the second woman was speaking in a different language that somehow she understood.

“We are just as you are,” the last to speak stood on the right of the centre figure. Her dark skin stood in stark contrast to the bright white fabric of her dress, the sleek black curtains framing her face not moving as she spoke with a hint of an Australian accent.

“I don’t understand.” She turned to Charlie, hoping she might have answers. She gasped and stumbled back in shock at what she saw.

Charlie’s clothes were darker and clung to her figure, soaked with what Zari instinctively recognised as blood. The other woman seemed unaffected. Her face was no longer smiling and instead looked sad, bordering on guilty.

“Stay away. Stay away. Stay away.” All three of the women chanted in synchronicity and Zari looked up to find they were likewise covered in blood, red spreading quickly over white.

“I don’t understand.” The panic in her voice grew more urgent as she jolted around quickly and found herself sat upright in bed.

It was a dream. Zari took a deep breath and looked around the room, feeling the mattress beneath her and ran a hand over the sheets. She was in her own bed, in her own room, in her own apartment. It was all just a dream. A strange one, undoubtedly, and for a second she glanced at her night stand, contemplating whether or not it was worth calling Ava, Ray or one of the others. She decided against it and lay back down.

How was it possible for someone she met so recently to have permeated into her every thought, awake and otherwise? Charlie had been intriguing to say the least but to find her haunting her dreams was troubling. Zari sighed, eyes wandering across the ceiling above her bed before resting on the one spot she would spend the next few hours staring at instead of sleeping.

**Author's Note:**

> the first chapter of the zarlie btvs au that i just couldn't get out of my head!  
> as i said in the tags i hope this was still enjoyable even if you're not familiar with btvs  
> hope you enjoyed it and i always appreciate constructive criticism so don't hold back  
> also feel free to yell at me on tumblr about this au, zarlie, any of the other ships or legends in general @princesstomaz


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